Rules / Yatzy vs Yahtzee
Yatzy vs Yahtzee
Both are the same idea: five dice, three rolls, fill a sheet. The sheets are not the same. Here is every place they differ.
Updated 9 September 2026
Side by side
| Yatzy | Yahtzee® | |
|---|---|---|
| Boxes | 15 | 13 |
| Pairs | One pair, two pairs | None |
| Three / four of a kind | Sum of the matching dice | Sum of all five dice |
| Full house | Sum of all dice (max 28) | 25 flat |
| Small straight | 1-2-3-4-5, 15 points | Any four in a row, 30 points |
| Large straight | 2-3-4-5-6, 20 points | Any five in a row, 40 points |
| Five of a kind | Yatzy, 50 | Yahtzee, 50, extra Yahtzees 100 each |
| Upper bonus | 50 at 63 | 35 at 63 |
| Maximum | 374 | 375 (1 575 with extra Yahtzees) |
| Home | Nordic countries | North America, UK |
Which is harder?
Yahtzee® is more forgiving: runs of four are common and a full house is worth 25 whatever the dice. Yatzy punishes a missed straight and rewards high pairs. Totals in Yatzy land around 200 for a decent game; Yahtzee® totals run higher because the fixed boxes are worth more. Both are on this site.
Questions
Is Yatzy the same as Yahtzee?
No. They share the idea but the sheets differ: Yatzy has pairs and fixed straights, Yahtzee® has runs, a flat full house and a 35 bonus.
Which came first?
Yacht, an older dice game, came first. Yahtzee® was published in 1956; Yatzy is the Scandinavian development of the same family.